But the Aztecs held Oklahoma (20-12) to just two baskets over the final eight minutes of the half and closed to 33-31. They went ahead early in the second half on a put-back by DeShawn Stephens and never trailed again. The nine-point deficit was the largest they have overcome in a victory all season.

The more Osby (22 points) scored, and the less everyone else was involved, the better off the Aztecs seemed to be. With Pledger limited to 22 minutes after getting two, then three, then four fouls, the Sooners became a one-dimensional team that, at this time of year, doesn’t advance. No one else had more than Amath M’Baye’s eight.

The Aztecs had largely been a good first-half defensive team – when the opponent’s offense was in front of their bench and the coaches could shout out sets and screens and tendencies – that struggled at times in the second half.

This time: The Sooners scored 22 points (nine by players not named Osby) and were 1 of 10 ons 3s in the second half.

“Today our second-half defense was superior to our first half, and that’s how we won," said Fisher, who has won six straight and nine of the last 10 against Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger, his good friend. "We didn’t give them easy baskets, we didn’t give them second-chance opportunities. That’s what a good team does, that’s what a veteran team does.”

On offense, the Aztecs had a variety of high-post entries that they thought would work and weren’t. So assistant coach Mark Fisher, the de facto offensive coordinator, shrugged and started calling for a ball screen combined with a down screen. Over and over and over. And over.

Franklin finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. The only reason he didn’t lead the team in all four categories was because Stephens had a career-high 11 boards, six on the offensive end.

The other revelation was James Rahon, who had 14 total points on 6-of-27 shooting over his previous four games. Friday night: 17 points, 6-of-11 shooting.

It was only the second time the Aztecs have advanced past the tournament's opening round in four decades of Div. I basketball, and only their second win along the Atlantic Seaboard in 10 tries. And their first win against Oklahoma in four tries.

“We’ve got veteran players here that are part of the only NCAA Tournament wins we’ve ever had,” Fisher said. “So we are hungry to add to it.”

Notes

Pledger, who was averaging 11.8 points, finished with three points -- a single 3 midway with 9:40 left in the first half. Twenty-one seconds later, he got his second foul and went to the bench ... SDSU was 16 of 17 from the line, making their first 13 straight before Stephens missed with 43 seconds left. Oklahoma got the line only eight times ... The Aztecs had a 40-29 advantage on the boards and held the Sooners to 39.7-percent shooting (and 5 of 21 behind the arc) ...

Mountain West schools have won five NCAA Tournament games since 2011; SDSU has three of them ... Tapley (10 points) became the first player in school history to play in NCAA Tournaments in four seasons ... Oklahoma is now 0-3 as a No. 10 seed ... The Aztecs are now 15-0 in their white (home) uniforms this season, and they'll get to wear them again on Sunday.